Breed · Dog

Chihuahua

Mexican companion breed, the smallest recognised dog in the world, with roots claimed back to the Techichi of the Toltecs.

Nobody is neutral about Chihuahuas, least of all Chihuahuas. Underneath the handbag cliché is a genuinely long-lived, devoted, portable companion that costs little to feed and fits in any home — and a dog that will run the household inside a month if nobody bothers to train it, because nobody trains a dog they can pick up. Treat it as a dog, not an accessory, and it is one of the best small companions there is.

At a glance

Lifespan: 14–17 years
Adult weight: 1.5–3 kg
Daily exercise: 30 min, plus indoor play
Trainability: Good, routinely neglected
Alone time tolerated: Moderate
Shedding: Light to moderate
Noise level: High if unchecked
With children: Poor with small children — too breakable
With other pets: Fine with dogs its own size; big-dog households need care

Colours · 4 listed

Smooth and long coats, every colour going. The coat decision is grooming; everything else is the same dog.

Fawn
Black & tan
Cream
Chocolate

Right for you if

You want a devoted lap dog that can still outwalk its reputation.
Space and budget are tight and fifteen-plus years of company sounds right.
You will train and socialise it exactly as if it were forty kilograms.
The household is adult, or the children are old enough to be gentle.

Wrong for you if

Toddlers live in or visit the house often — a dropped Chihuahua is a broken one.
You wanted a dog to carry, not to walk. The legs work and want using.
Barking at the doorbell would be a dealbreaker and training it out sounds like effort.
Big boisterous dogs share the home.

What to ask a breeder

The UK Kennel Club’s list for the breed is eye testing and — a surprise to most buyers — breathing assessment under the same Respiratory Function Grading scheme used for Pugs and Bulldogs; merle registrations have been refused in stages since 2007.¹ No patella or heart test is on the list, so those questions are yours to ask.
Ask whether the parents’ knees have been formally graded for luxating patella, and ask for the grade itself, not a pass. Ask about heart testing in the lines and at what ages the breeder’s dogs have needed dental work.
Walk away from anything advertised as a “teacup”. It is not a variety; it is a size the breed standard already calls too small, sold at a markup.

Sources

Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) — breed health and pre-breeding screening. The Royal Kennel Club 2026. Accessed 2026-09-04. United Kingdom The Royal Kennel Club The UK Kennel Club's published screening lists for the breed: best practice is eye testing and breathing testing under the KC Respiratory Function Grading scheme. Merle registrations have been refused in stages since 2007. No patella or cardiac test is listed.

Every source here was checked, not recalled. Where this page makes a health statement and no source appears against it, that is not an oversight we have hidden — it means the claim is not yet sourced, and the build reports how many are in that state.

Availability, registration and keeping requirements differ from place to place. Check the rules where you live before you commit to any animal — we describe animals, not law.